Stunning run in Teheran by junior squash players

Mohd Amir won the boys' Under-13 title after defeating Navaneeth Prabhu of India 7-11, 11-5, 11-8, 12-10.

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia came close to making it seven out of seven in the Asian Junior Squash Championships in Teheran, Iran.

In the end, they had to be satisfied with winning six of the seven finals they competed in when three-time British Junior Open champion Ng Eain Yow came up short in the boys’ Under-19 final against Pakistan’s Israr Ahmed.

But kudos to the other Malaysians for winning six titles out of the eight at stake. This is the best ever finish by Malaysian players, eclipsing the five-title effort two years ago.

The six who won on Thursday were Mohd Amir Amirul (boys’ Under-13), Siow Yee Xian (boys’ Under-15), M. Kiroshanna (girls’ Under-13), Aifa Azman (girls’ Under-15), S. Sivasangari (girls’ Under-17) and Andrea Lee (girls’ Under-19).

Twelve-year-old Mohd Amir got the ball rolling by defeating Navaneeth Prabhu of India 7-11, 11-5, 11-8, 12-10 for the boys’ Under-13 title.

Yee Xian then made it two wins out of two by beating team-mate Mohd Hafiz Zhafri in the boys’ Under-15 category.

Then the girls took over, with Kiroshanna taking the Under-13 title by beating team-mate Wong Heng Wai and Aifa downing defending champion Lui Hiu Lam of Hong Kong for the Under-15 crown.

It was sweet revenge for the 13-year-old Aifa, who lost 3-0 to Hiu Lam in the Hong Kong Junior Open final last week.

Sivasangari then earned her third Asian Junior title after a hard-fought win over team-mate Zoe Foo in the Under-17 category.

Sivasangari had won the Under-13 title in 2011 and the Under-15 crown in 2012. For Zoe, it was yet another heartbreak as she has now lost in the final for the fourth straight year.

Andrea completed the Malaysian domination when she held off a strong challenge from Hong Kong’s Choi Uen Shan to claim the girls’ Under-19 title.

The 17-year-old Andrea, who bagged the Under-15 title in 2013 and the Under-17 crown last year, held on to beat Uen Shan in five sets.

With six titles already in the bag, the stage was set for Eain Yow to claim his fourth Asian Junior crown. But Israr beat him 7-11, 11-7, 13-11, 8-11, 11-6. 

Results

All final

Boys

Under-13: Mohd Amir Amirul (Mas) bt Navaneeth Prahbu (Ind) 11-9, 6-11, 11-4, 12-10.

Under-15: Siow Yee Xian (Mas) bt Mohd Hafiz Zhafri (Mas) 11-8, 11-0, 6-11, 11-8.

Under-17: Mohammad Alsarraj (Jor) bt Chan Wui Ki (Hkg) 11-5, 11-7, 11-3.

Under-19: Israr Ahmed (Pak) bt Ng Eain Yow (Mas) 7-11, 11-7, 13-11, 8-11, 11-6.

Girls

Under-13: M. Kiroshanna (Mas) bt Wong Heng Wai (Mas) 11-7, 8-11, 12-10, 14-12.

Under-15: Aifa Azman (Mas) bt Lui Hiu Lam (Hkg) 11-4, 11-6, 9-11, 10-12, 11-9.

Under-17: S. Sivasangari (Mas) bt Zoe Foo (Mas) 11-8, 11-9, 8-11, 11-9.

Under-19: Andrea Lee (Mas) bt Choi Uen Shan (Hkg) 4-11, 11-5, 11-9; 7-11, 12-10.